Platinum
by PKAquaFlame
Summary: A rewrite of my Pokemon Platinum novelization. There comes a time in everyone's life when they meet Pokemon and go on an adventure of their very own. When the time came for Lucas to meet his first Pokemon and set off into his journey, he had no idea what sort of adventure awaited him.
1. Beginning of Something Really Excellent

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon Platinum.

Okay, so I had an earlier version of this novelization and it didn't really go as well as I would have liked (meaning inspiration was getting to be really slow), so I decided to tweak things a little. Some of the team members have been switched around (same with nicknames), but there's been a big plot thing that I've wanted to write for Lucas since I started it...that's going to be in this novelization sooner or later.

Without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

_"...'Pokemon are always by our side. I hope you will understand the meaning of those words.' That was the comment left by Professor Rowan, who had recently come back to Sinnoh from Kanto. And that concludes our special, 'Let's Ask Professor Rowan!' Brought to you by Jubilife TV! See you next week!"_

Lucas Adams blinked as the end credits rolled. A million questions entered his mind as he plopped on the beanbag chair nearby. The most prominent being this; why did Barry want him to see this? What was that hyper idiot up to now?

He soon got his answer as a blonde-haired boy barged into his bedroom. He grinned enthusiastically at the blue-haired boy (who looked like he had a heart attack at his sudden arrival).

"Hi, Lucas! I found ya!" he bellowed.

"Barry," Lucas said, sighing. "I keep telling you not to do that. I could have been watching a horror movie - don't you remember what happened last time? The _Blink_ incident?"

"Calm down, Luke!" the blonde - Barry - said in response. "How was **I** supposed to know that you would shriek like a little girl and pass out?"

Lucas blushed out of embarrassment at this comment as Barry continued, "And that was only one time! And it wasn't even a horror movie, that was just an episode of that show you like!"

"It was still pretty scary, Barry. You said so yourself when I made you watch it," Lucas argued.

Barry nodded (as if handing that argument to Lucas) as he continued, "Anyways, did you see the show just now? What am I saying? Of course you did! Professor Rowan's that super-important guy who studies Pokemon, right?"

Lucas nodded, unsure of where the hyperactive blonde was going with this.

"So?"

"Sooo~...He must have a lot of Pokemon right? I'm thinking that if we asked nicely, he'd give us a Pokemon or two!" Barry proclaimed, as if he had just come up with an ingenius idea.

Lucas thought about this for a minute. It was true that Professors usually give potential Trainers their first Pokemon, but would Professor Rowan? After all, he _did_ look pretty intimidating on TV; almost like he could carry out an elaborate murder plan if you so much as breathed in his direction.

"I don't think..." he started when Barry ran over to his brand new computer.

"Wow! This is the computer you told me about, isn't it? The one your reeeally rich aunt gave you?" he exclaimed, examining the computer.

"Barry, please don't break that," Lucas said. "That computer is expensive."

Barry looked at Lucas, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. His face then brightened.

"Hey! Meet me at my house! If you're late, it'll be ten million PokeBucks!" he exclaimed, running out.

Lucas sighed, smiling as he got his favorite jacket and scarf from his closet. Barry could be unbelievably impulsive - how in all that is holy and sacred did he have this much energy? - but it made for a life that was never, _ever_ boring. Things would be all...quiet and uneventful in Twinleaf without him. And as calm as Lucas was, he hated boredom. That's why he had a strange attraction to horror movies; he hated how they would scare the crap out of him, but he liked the fact that they weren't boring.

Putting on his jacket and adjusting his hat, Lucas went down the stairs.

* * *

Walking towards Barry's house was always a risky business. Lucas always had to be careful that the door wouldn't suddenly open in front of him. And if that happened...

_**THUD!**_

"OOF!"

...The result would be Lucas sprawled on the ground and Barry reeling at the door frame, wondering, "What the hell hit me?" When he noticed Lucas, Barry grinned. "Luke, what are you doing down there? You sure fall down a lot."

Lucas gave him an incredulous look. How could Barry _not_ know that he's the one knocking people down? Barry grinned, holding up a backpack.

"Okay, I got everything I need! Come on!" he exclaimed, pulling his friend up and dragging him towards Route 201. "Awright! Let's go the the Lab!"

Lucas momentarily panicked as he was pushed closer towards the tall grass. His father had told him time and time again to never go into the tall grass without a Pokemon of his own.

"Barry," he said. "Don't you think you're being a little reckless?"

Barry looked at him in confusion as Lucas continued, "We're not supposed to go into the tall grass since we don't have a Pokemon." Barry actually seemed to think about what his friend had said, and then said, "Don't worry, don't worry! It doesn't matter. All we have to do is just dash to Sandgem Town. We'll run so fast that those Pokemon won't get to us!"

Lucas looked at Barry incredulously as the blonde got into a position to run. "Now, on your marks...Get set..."

"Hold it!"

Barry and Lucas froze as an older man approached them, a stern look on his face. "You don't seem to have any Pokemon between you," he demanded, "so what is the meaning of this?"

_That's Professor Rowan, isn't it? _Lucas thought, slightly awestruck. And from Barry's facial expression, he was thinking the same thing.

Professor Rowan examined the two boys. The blond boy mentioned getting Pokemon...so that's what they were up to. What to do now? Their lives would change if they got to meet a Pokemon. Should he...?

"Tell me something," Rowan addressed the boys. "You two love Pokemon, don't you?"

The two boys instantly nodded, with Barry saying, "Of course we do!"

"I'll ask again: do you love Pokemon?" Rowan asked again, only a little more slowly. Barry nodded enthusiastically, shouting, "You can ask us a thousand times, and we'll answer the same thing a thousand times! We love Pokemon! Right, Lucas?" Lucas nodded in agreement.

Rowan shook his head, saying, "A pair of young boys rushing into the tall grass without Pokemon of their own...? I wonder what people like that would do with Pokemon?"

Barry bit his lip at this. "Look," he said, almost regretfully. "Forget about me, but at least give one to my friend here! This whole thing was_ my_ idea, anyways!"

Lucas shifted his feet, looking at the ground. "Um...actually, sir...I don't want a Pokemon if it means Barry won't get one. We're best friends," he murmured.

The older man examined the two boys: one loud and obnoxious, the other quiet and polite, both of them foolhardy enough to go into the grass without Pokemon! Such recklessness would bar them from having Pokemon...but in both of them seemed to be some determination to protect their loved ones, and that was encouraged in a Trainer.

So be it.

"How big of you. Both of you," he said. "Very well, then! I will entrust you with Pokemon of your own. Please accept my apologies for putting you through that."

Lucas and Barry gaped at the old man. After all that, they thought they would fail in their unofficial mission. But for Rowan to turn everything around and...!

Before Barry could cheer (and possibly glomp Lucas), the older man said, "However, you must promise me not to recklessly put your lives in danger again."

Both boys nodded and chorused, "We promise!" Rowan smiled at their enthusiasm. He looked around, almost in confusion.

"That's strange," he said to himself. "I could have sworn she was right behind me..."

"Professor Rowan!"

The three blinked as a girl, around Lucas' and Barry's age, jogged into the scene. Her pink coat and boots seemed to stand out in the general greenery of Route 201 as she carried a brown briefcase.

"You left your briefcase at the lake!" she huffed. "Honestly, Professor! You should know not to do these kinds of things! What if a wild Pokemon or a thief got to it?"

"Now now, Dawn," Rowan said, taking the briefcase from Dawn's hands. "Thank you for retrieving the briefcase. You're right on time, actually. I was about to entrust these two boys with their own Pokemon."

Dawn looked about ready to have a heart attack as she looked at the two boys, and then at the Professor.

_"Excuse me?"_ she shrieked. "P-Professor, these Pokemon aren't exactly the easiest to replace! Are you sure you want to...?"

"Dawn," Rowan interjected sternly. "We live side by side with Pokemon. Therefore, there comes a time in everyone's life..."

"When they should meet Pokemon," Dawn finished, obviously having heard this before. "And they should explore the world together side by side."

"That's right," Rowan said, nodding. "And the time for these two boys is right now. The place, right here."

"Professor, you're amazing!" Barry exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. "I mean, I'm so happy I can't keep a straight face!" It was true: Barry had the biggest grin any of them had ever seen. Rowan opened his briefcase, taking out two PokeBalls. One of them had a leaf insignia and the other had a fire insignia.

"Now, pick a Pokemon, if you please," he said, holding them out for the boys. Barry examined the two PokeBalls.

"Hey, aren't there usually three types of Pokemon to pick from?" he asked. "What gives?"

"Dawn has the Water-type Pokemon with her," Rowan explained. Dawn nodded, taking a PokeBall from her belt and tossing it. Out came a small blue penguin with a yellow beak and yellow feet. It chirped its name: "Piplup!"

The boys nodded in understanding as Barry turned toward Lucas.

"Luke, I'll let you pick first," he said. Noticing Lucas' raised eyebrow, he cleared his throat, saying, "Hey, I gotta show a little class here, right?" At this he glanced pointedly at Dawn.

_Of course,_ Lucas thought, rolling his eyes. He examined the two PokeBalls. Obviously one of them had a Grass type while the other had a Fire type. Lucas could never see himself ever being able to handle a Fire Pokemon. He could barely catch up with _Barry _at times_._

Lucas picked up the leaf-engraved PokeBall and released the Pokemon inside. The Pokemon that came out was a small light-green turtle with a shell that seemed to be made of the earth. A small seedling could be seen on the Pokemon's head. It looked up at Lucas, tilting its head to the side.

"Ah, you've chosen Turtwig," Rowan said. "A good, solid Pokemon. And Chimchar goes to you." As he said this, he handed the flame PokeBall to Barry. Still grinning, Barry released the Pokemon inside. An orange monkey-like Pokemon appeared from the PokeBall. Its flame tail flickered as it noticed Barry and climbed up his back, sat on his shoulders and picked through the blond hair.

"H-hey! Chimchar!" Barry protested. "That feels weird! Cut it out!"

"Don't squirm so much. That's how Chimchar gets to know somebody," Rowan said, amused at the fire monkey's antics. Meanwhile, Turtwig looked up at Lucas curiously. Lucas squatted, smiling at the Grass type.

"Hello, Turtwig," he said, holding his hand out. "My name's Lucas, and it appears I'm going to be your Trainer."

Turtwig's eyes sparkled as if Christmas had come early. And for the little Grass-type, it might as well have. Finally, a Trainer! Turtwig was so happy that he couldn't help glomping his Trainer. Lucas fell to the ground in his shock as Turtwig proceeded to chomp lightly on Lucas' head (his hat having fallen off in his shock).

"Ow! Turtwig! I'm happy, too!" Lucas exclaimed, laughing. "Now get off, you're heavy!"

Rowan smiled at the two Trainers as they met their Pokemon. Turtwig and Chimchar seemed to warm up to their Trainers instantly, and for that he was glad.

"Listen," he said, grabbing the two boy's attention. "These Pokemon are very young, and so they are not familiar with the world they live in. In that respect they are just like you. I hope you do well together as fellow newcomers of the world. If you have any questions, come see me in my lab. I assume you know where that is?"

The two boys nodded as the Professor walked off. Returning Piplup, Dawn ran after Rowan, nearly pushing between the two boys in doing so.

"Sorry!" she shouted. "Professor, wait for meeeee!"

As they watched the two run off, Barry commented, "Well, whaddo ya know? Professor Rowan's really nice! I mean, on TV he looks kinda scary."

"I guess," Lucas said, remembering the program he had seen no more than two hours ago. After about a minute of silence, Barry gave out a shout.

"Luke! We both have Pokemon now!" he exclaimed, grinning a rather devious grin. "Know what that means?"

Lucas grinned back, nodding. Years ago, they swore to each other that the first Pokemon fight they would have would be each other.

"Oh man, I've always wanted to say this..." Barry said excitedly. "Lucas! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" As he said this, Chimchar jumped in front of Barry, ready to battle. Turtwig walked up to the fighting zone as well.

"Turtwig, you can do it!" Lucas encouraged. "Tackle!"

"Scratch, Chimchar!"

* * *

When the fire monkey collapsed, swirls replacing its eyes, Barry looked on incredulously.

"What? We really lost?!" he exclaimed, picking Chimchar up. Turtwig, feeling proud of itself, ran up to Lucas and chirped its name happily.

"Good job, Turtwig," Lucas praised. Barry grinned.

"Let's get home!" he exclaimed. "My Pokemon needs some rest. We need rest, too."

Lucas nodded as they walked home. Barry then said, "Hey, hey! Why don't we nickname our Pokemon?"

"Huh?" Lucas asked, looking at Barry curiously. Barry continued, "We could name them after video game characters, or something awesome like that! So what are you gonna name Turtwig?"

"Hmmm..." Lucas hummed, glancing down at his Turtwig. Based on what he had seen of the Grass-type, it was calm, but ready for a fight if need be. Maybe Turtwig had a Calm nature or something?

"I'll think about it later," Lucas said. "What are you going to name Chimchar?"

"Ven, of course! After that video game we played a while ago! Hear that, little buddy?" he asked the barely conscious Chimchar. Having heard that, Chimchar nodded weakly, smiling.

"Good! See ya tomorrow, Luke!" Barry said, going into his house. Lucas smiled and walked back to his own house.

* * *

"I see. So that's what happened..."

Needless to say, Lucas' father (whom we shall call Fred) was pretty surprised when his son walked into the house, dirt on his clothes and a Turtwig by his feet. When his clothes were cleaned and the Pokemon rested, he demanded that Lucas explain everything.

"It's a good thing the Professor showed up when he did," Fred said when Lucas was finished. "I don't want to think about what would happen if any wild Pokemon got to you."

Lucas glanced down at the Turtwig, who was happily munching on some kale that his father got that morning. Lucas watched with interest; he never had a liking for kale, but Turtwig seemed to enjoy it a lot. He blinked at this.

"Hey, Turtwig," he said. "You seem to like kale a lot. In fact, it's all you've eaten since you got here. Would it be alright if I started calling you Kale?"

Turtwig paused to think about this. He nodded, rushing towards Lucas and nuzzling him. Lucas laughed.

Fred smiled at this, saying, "You seem happy with the little guy. You should go to Sandgem Town and thank Professor Rowan. Oh, I almost forgot about something. Wait right here, okay?"

He exited the room, and about five minutes later came back with a shoebox in his hands. Fred handed Lucas the shoebox, adding, "I knew you were going to get a Pokemon someday, so I planned ahead a bit."

Lucas opened it and saw a brand new pair of Running Shoes. "They're really nifty for an adventure!" Fred said as Lucas switched shoes. When he tested their fitness, he said, "Thanks a lot Dad! I'm going to go to Sandgem Town. It shouldn't take to long."

With that, he dashed out the door.

* * *

When Lucas stepped into Route 201, he was immediately greeted by Barry.

"Hey, Luke! I just had an idea!" he exclaimed. "I was going to thank Professor Rowan, but then I had a thought. You know the lake we always played at when we were little? You know how they say there's a legendary Pokemon living in the lakebed?"

Lucas nodded. How could he _not _know all of that? That was Lucas' favorite childhood story; whenever he had a nightmare (which was quite frequently as a child) his father would always tell him stories about the Spirit of Emotion, Mesprit.

"Don't tell me," Lucas said, almost amused.

"You guessed it! We're going to catch that Pokemon!" Barry exclaimed, grinning. "That'll make Professor Rowan and Dawn happy, right? So let's go! You and me, we got nothing to fear!"

As he said this, he pushed Lucas towards the lake. Lucas said, "Barry...Are you sure about this? What if it was just a story?"

"Trust me, that Pokemon _is_ here," Barry said. "You should know too. We saw it that one time, remember?"

"Barry, that was a trick of the eye," Lucas replied, sighing. "I don't think..."

"Hey, who's that?" Barry asked as they entered the lake. Up ahead was a rather strangely dressed man with blue hair. He looked out to the lake, not seeing the two boys coming.

"The flowing time, the twisting space..." he murmured. "All of this will someday be mine. Cyrus is my name. Remember that, Pokemon of the lakebed. Sleep while you can."

At this, he walked to exit the lakefront. "Please allow me to pass. Step aside," he demanded as he passed the two boys. For a brief moment, Lucas locked eyes with the strange man. He reminded him of an antagonist for one of his movies; every part of Lucas wanted to just drop everything and run, but he was rooted to the spot.

When Cyrus left, Barry commented, "Who the hell was that? What a nut!"

"Yeah," Lucas said, nodding in agreement. Barry grinned again, saying, "Okay! Now let's go catch that Pokemon!"

Then they heard a light, almost musical cry. The two boys looked around frantically, with Lucas barely catching a glimpse of magenta and light blue...

"Did you hear that?" Barry exclaimed. "That was the Pokemon's cry! I know it was! Now let's..."

Barry then realized something. Something drastically important if you want to catch a Pokemon.

"Luke!" he howled. "We don't have any PokeBalls! You know...P-O-K-accent-E-capital-B-A-L-L-S! We can't take a Pokemon with us, let alone catch one without them!"

Lucas wanted to laugh at the sight of Barry flopping around like a Magikarp. When the blond calmed down, he said, "Hey, you think the Professor would give us some PokeBalls? He said if we needed anything to come to the Lab...It's settled, then! We'll go right now! I'll race ya!"

Barry dashed off. Lucas started after him, but stopped to look back at the lake.

That wasn't a hallucination...was it?

* * *

_Mesprit had been watching the two boys since they obtained their Pokemon. Originally, it was a little concerned about what that man Cyrus was planning...but that worry alleviated when it saw the two boys._

_The hyper blonde had flopped around like a Magikarp when he realized they had no PokeBalls: Azelf, the Spirit of Willpower, would like this one._

_The Professor's assistant, whom Mespirit had seen picking up a briefcase, seemed to have quite a lot of knowledge about Pokemon. The Spirit of Knowledge, Uxie, would definitely like her._

_As for the boy..._

_Mesprit **definitely** liked him. As the Spirit of Emotion, it was interested (and a little concerned) by how he always seemed cool and collected when he was a nervous wreck on the inside. And it had also seen the way he treated his Turtwig. It was cute, really.  
_

_Mesprit smiled. It looked like everything would be all right.  
_

* * *

Please review! :D


	2. Rookie Mistakes

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon Platinum.

Without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

Dawn Berlitz leaned against the lab, sighing. Rowan had instructed her to wait outside and look out for Lucas while he asked Barry about the PokeDex. She didn't mind that much; she had heard the speech countless times before. But it was still pretty nippy, and she'd have preferred staying inside as opposed to waiting for him.

That was when her mind wandered towards the two boys. Barry was a firecracker; metaphorically and quite possibly literally. Chimchar (who he had dubbed Ven for whatever reason) was the same, so they'd be a devastating pair, to be sure. Contrary to Barry, Lucas seemed to be quiet and unusually polite for someone their age.

And since they were her age, and obviously from Twinleaf, they probably have been in Sandgem Town for errands of some sort (_now that she thought about it, she might have seen Lucas wandering around Sandgem with a Kricketune accompanying him more than once...that Pokemon had a really suiting nickname too. Argh, this was going to bug her now!_). So how come today was her first time actually meeting them?

_Duh,_ Dawn thought to herself._ I'm always at the Lab._

That was when she saw Lucas, with Turtwig trailing behind happily.

"Oh, hi. Lucas, right?" she asked as the two got closer. Lucas nodded.

"And you're Dawn," he said, more a statement than a question. Dawn nodded, gesturing to the large building to her right.

"Well, this is the Lab," she said. "Professor Rowan wanted to see you. Now, if you'll come inside, your friend..."

The door suddenly opened, and Dawn was knocked over by the blond blur known as Barry.

"Huh?" Blinking, the blond noticed he knocked her over. He sweatdropped. "Sorry 'bout that! Here you go!"

With that he pulled Dawn up on her feet. As she mumbled a thanks, he turned towards Lucas. "Anyways, Luke! That Rowan...he isn't as scary as he is totally out there!"

Before Lucas could ask what he meant, Barry continued, "Aww, it doesn't matter now! I'm out! See ya!"

And with that Barry ran off. Dawn blinked as he seemed to fade into the horizon.

"Geez, what's with him?" she grumbled. "Is he always like this?"

Lucas nodded, saying, "We've known each other since we were young. There's never a dull moment with him around."

"That's for sure," Dawn responded, opening the door to the Lab. "Come on."

Lucas followed her into the lab, where they were soon noticed by Professor Rowan.

"Ah...Lucas, was it?" he asked. "May I see your Turtwig again?"

Blinking, Lucas released Kale. The Turtwig looked around at the familiar settings of the Lab. He looked up at Rowan as the elderly Professor examined him.

"Hmm...Turtwig seems rather happy," Rowan concluded. "It appears entrusting Turtwig to you was no mistake. Have you given him a name?"

"Yes, sir," Lucas replied. "I named him Kale."

"An unusual nickname, but it suits him," Rowan commented. "You know, when I saw you and your friend about to rush into the grass, I was shocked and astounded at how reckless you were. "

Lucas shifted his feet at this, looking down in embarrassment. Rowan continued, "But now you two have astounded me in a different way. Both of you have already created a strong bond with your Pokemon. I feel privileged to have met you, and I'm sure Kale feels the same way. So be sure to cherish that Turtwig."

Lucas looked down at the Turtwig, who smiled back, nuzzling Lucas' leg. Lucas crouched down and started to pet Kale's head. Then the Turtwig saw his chance to jump on Lucas' shoulder and chomp on his head again.

"Kale," Lucas said, wincing from the slight pain. Dawn laughed, saying, "Relax. Turtwig have a tendency to do that to people they like. And I'm glad you're nice to him. If you weren't someone who was nice to Pokemon...I don't even want to think about it."

Before Lucas could ask what she meant, Rowan cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention. Lucas saw his chance to grab Kale and put the Turtwig down on the floor. Kale pouted but didn't try to chomp again.

"And with that, let's go to why you are here," Rowan said. "There is a favor I'd like to ask of you."

Lucas' eyebrows quirked as Rowan continued, "But first, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Rowan, and I study Pokemon. I want to know exactly what kinds of Pokemon live in the Sinnoh region. And to do so, one requires the use of a PokeDex. That is what I wish to ask of you, Lucas: to entrust you with a PokeDex. Can I count on you to do that?"

Lucas nodded, causing Rowan to say, "Good answer! As he said this, the Professor grabbed a small blue device and handed it to Lucas.

"I assume you know how a PokeDex works?" Rowan asked. Lucas nodded: who in the world of Pokemon _didn't_ know what a PokeDex was?

"Good. I ask that you go throughout the Sinnoh region and meet all the Pokemon you can!" he said.

"I'll do my best!" Lucas said, nodding. Rowan smiled.

"Let me ask you something...when you walked through Route 201 with Kale, what did you feel?"

Lucas thought about it. "I was thrilled," he finally responded. "Like I was about to start something magnificent and wonderful."

"I've lived for sixty long years, and even now I get a thrill when I'm with a Pokemon," Rowan responded. "And you must know that there are countless kinds of Pokemon in the world, which means that there are just as many thrills waiting for you out there! Now go! Your grand adventure begins today!"

Lucas sweatdropped as Rowan's speech got more dramatic. Dawn tapped him on the shoulder, diverting his attention.

"He says that to every new Trainer," she explained. "Anyway, the first pokemon I met was my Piplup, Duchess! If we had a Piplup Pokeball and you picked that, we would've had the same Pokemon! Not that it really matters..." she trailed off, laughing. "Anyway, I have a PokeDex, too. I'm helping the Professor fill out pages, so in that way I'm just like you. I'll be happy to teach you a few things! Come on!"

And with that, Dawn walked out of the Lab. Lucas followed, and when the two stepped outside, so did Rowan.

"I just realized that you should take this as well," Rowan said, giving Lucas a disc that said **Technical Machine # 27.** As Lucas looked at it in confusion, Rowan explained, "Technical Machines teach moves to Pokemon instantly. Bear in mind that it is single-use only. That Technical Machine teaches the move Return, which grows stronger the more the Pokemon using it likes you. It is up to you whether or not you want to use that. Regardless, I hope your journey will be an unforgettable one."

And with that, Professor Rowan walked back into the Lab. Dawn whistled, saying, "Wow. I didn't know the Professor had TMs. Was he a Trainer when he was our age...?"

Lucas thought that might be the case. The way he was talking about the thrills of being with Pokemon...

"Anyway," Dawn said, "Like I said before, I'll be your mentor, if you want. Since I've been a Trainer longer and I'm the Professor's assistant, I mean. But first, you might want to tell your family that you're going. You wouldn't want them to worry about you, would you?"

Lucas shook his head. If his father didn't know about this right now, he'd be worried sick.

"Okay!" Dawn said. "Meet me in Route 202 when you're finished!"

Nodding, Lucas walked back to Twinleaf Town.

* * *

"Wow," Fred said when Lucas told him what happened. "I can't believe Professor Rowan asked you to do something that big."

Lucas nodded, glancing at the PokeDex that was settled on the table. Fred grinned, saying, "Okay then! Go for it! You have your father's support all the way, kiddo! Here you go!"

As he said this, he handed a rather large notebook to Lucas. As Lucas looked at it in curiosity, Fred said, "You can use that as a journal. Write in it every day, okay?"

Lucas nodded, smiling as he put the Journal in his backpack. Fred sighed, glancing at the window. "Golly, an adventure...I envy you, kiddo. Plus, you're not really alone. You'll have Kale and any other Pokemon you might meet. I wish I could go..."

Lucas bit his lip at this, when Fred grinned, saying, "I'm kidding! I'll be okay, Lucas! Really, I have Jiminy and the others with me!" As he said this, he motioned to the Kricketune playng music outside. He smiled fondly. "When you're exposed to new things and new sensations...it makes your father happy too. And I bet your mother would be proud, too."

Lucas winced at the mention of his mother, causing Fred to sigh. Maybe this journey would be better for Lucas than he thought.

"But do me a favor...come back sometimes," he concluded. "I want to see what kinds of Pokemon you catch, you know!"

Lucas smiled, saying, "I was going to do that anyway, Dad."

Just then, Barry's mother (whom we shall call Leah) walked into the house, asking, "Sorry if I interrupted something. Is Barry in here?"

Fred blinked, saying, "Uh, no. Why?" That caused Leah to sigh.

"Oh dear, he must have left already. He ran into the house, shouted something about going on an adventure and ran out just as fast. He's just like his father: headstrong and reckless, so I wanted him to at least take this," she said, holding out a brown package.

"I can give it to him, ma'am," Lucas said, causing Leah to smile gratefully and give him the parcel.

"Thank you, Lucas. Knowing my boy, he'd probably be in Jubilife City right now. Please get this to him as soon as possible," she said, walking out. Lucas glanced at his father.

"I should probably go now, so I can at least catch up to Barry. I'll be seeing you!" he said.

"Don't forget to write!" Fred called. Lucas gave him a thumbs up and walked out.

* * *

"Okay, Lucas! We're off!" Dawn said when Lucas arrived in Sandgem Town again. He followed Dawn to the building with the red roof.

"This is a Pokemon Center," she explained. "You can come here to rest up your Pokemon, and rooms are offered for Trainers to stay the night. You definitely want to come here when things get tough."

Lucas nodded as he and Dawn went towards the building next to it; the one with the blue roof.

"This is the PokeMart," she said. "They sell all sorts of useful things. Potions, PokeBalls, things that can heal status ailments...you name it, the PokeMart probably has it. And that's pretty much it for towns. You can talk to people for information; they're always willing to talk to a Trainer. Any questions?"

"I have just one," Lucas said. "Regarding the PokeMarts...why doesn't a Trainer just buy something like Great Balls and Super Potions from the start? Because I've always wondered about that."

"I'm not too sure myself," Dawn responded. "But that's because I'm the Professor's assistant. I usually have to get Ultra Balls for the Professor and I have an ID that lets me do that. I think it's based on how many Badges you have if you're taking on the League."

Lucas nodded in understanding as he followed Dawn into Route 202. Dawn released Duchess at this, twirling to face Lucas.

"Okay, the final lesson!" she said. "In order to move forward and fill the PokeDex, it's important to see as many Pokemon as possible. Sometimes you may want to capture them. I'm about to show you how to catch one, so pay attention!"

Lucas nodded as a small cat-like Pokemon wandered into the view of the two humans. It blinked curiously at the two.

"A Shinx!" Dawn cheered. "Duchess, use Pound!"

The Piplup complied, hitting the Pokemon with one of her flippers. The Shinx responded by tackling Duchess.

Dawn took out a PokeBall from her jacket pocket.

"Okay, here goes!" she said, tossing the PokeBall at the Shinx. The PokeBall opened and the Pokemon turned into a red light that went inside the PokeBall. It shook a few times before the blinking button turned white.

Dawn grinned, picking up the Shinx's PokeBall.

"See? Easy!" she said. Duchess chirped as her Trainer continued, "Although, you should weaken the Pokemon a little more than I did. A healthy Pokemon is harder to catch, so make sure you have something that will paralyze the Pokemon or put it to sleep. Now here's a present!"

At this, Dawn gave Lucas five PokeBalls, continuing, "The more Pokemon you have, the safer you'll be on the long run. Plus, the more fun you'll have! And that's the end of the lesson! I'll meet you in Jubilife City!"

And with that she walked deeper into the Route.

* * *

When Dawn next saw Lucas by Jubilife City, he was followed by Kale and looked pretty dejected.

"Lucas? What's wrong?" she asked.

"I used up all the PokeBalls you gave me and not even once did I capture something," he said. Dawn bit her lip, saying, "Well, that's okay, Lucas. Nobody expects you to capture a lot of Pokemon on the first Route. It happens to everyone, no big deal. Now come on! There's a place in this city that you should probably go to! Come on, follow me! It's getting dark, so it's probably closed, but that doesn't mean you can't go tomorrow, right?"

As Lucas followed Dawn into the city, he noticed something hiding behind one of the lampposts. Dawn seemed to notice too, because she muttered under her breath, "What's that? Is that a person?"

As if the 'person' heard her mutterings, the figure jumped from one lamppost to another one. When the figure started to jump to another lamppost, they could see that it was a man in a brown trenchcoat and black pants.

"Um..." Dawn started.

"Sir?" Lucas finished, causing the man to jump.

"WHAT?!" he bellowed, casing the two teenagers to wince. "How did you two know?! How did you unmask me as a member of the International Police?"

"I'm sorry?" Lucas asked. "We were just trying to make conversation..."

The man crossed his arms, saying, "Huh. Only making conversation, were you? But I know better not to believe that. Oh, no. You two recognized right away I was someone out of the ordinary. That is why you two addressed me, is it not? Young lady, young man, you two have remarkable observation skills! Quite admirable! Now that my cover has been blown, permit me to introduce myself. I am a globe-trotting elite member of the International Police! My name...no, I shall only inform you of my codename instead...My code name, it is Looker. That is what they call me. Incidentally, does the slogan, 'Don't be a thief!' familiar to you?"

Lucas and Dawn nodded, causing Looker to continue, "Yes, good. Taking something that belongs to others is wrong. Unfortunately, there are those that choose not to heed those words of advice! In Sinnoh, even, there are those who would steal other's Pokemon! I have, therefore, been on the lookout for suspicion-arousing characters."

Lucas seemed to be in thought about this while Dawn was in shock. Pokemon thieves in Sinnoh?

"You are Trainers, yes? So perhaps you will make use of this!" Looker said, shoving a blue-and-white device into Lucas' hands.

"I obtained that because it is quite the rage these days. But I, myself, do not partake in Pokemon battling very often. It will be in better hands with you. And I have a request: if you ever see me again, kindly refrain from speaking with me, for I am on duty."

He stopped to think, and then continued, "On second thought...you_ must_ speak with me! Not because I am lonely, no! You must inform me of bad guys! You must inform me of any happenings!"

And with that Looker ran off. Lucas and Dawn blinked at the scene.

"Weird guy. Working for the International Police must do that to a person," Dawn commented, gesturing towards the building next to them. "Anyway, this is the Pokemon School! It's closed now, so go in there tomorrow if you get the chance, okay?"

She started to walk off, but then stopped, turning back towards Lucas.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask something that's been bugging me," she said. "Does someone in your family have a Kricketune? Because I think I've seen you before with one accompanying you."

Lucas blinked before responding, "Yeah, that's my Dad's Kricketune. Whenever I run an errand in Sandgem, he always has Jiminy accompany me."

Dawn nearly choked on a laugh; so _that's_ what that Kricketune was called!

And with that, Dawn walked off, waving. Lucas waved back, walking into the Pokemon Center.

* * *

_...And that's how I started my Pokemon journey. It's strange how Barry's actions always seem to change both our lives; when he moved in ten years ago, he borrowed (and lost) my toy Blaziken, and that's what started our friendship (since he was so insistent on making it up to me), and today we got Pokemon as a result of his antics._

_I still only have one Pokemon; a Turtwig named Kale. He seems to like chomping on my head as a sign of affection. I packed some bandages just in case, but I'm not sure if I'll need them. It's not like he bites hard. _

_But what Looker told Dawn and me about Pokemon thieves in Sinnoh troubles me. Maybe that man in Lake Verity has something to do with it? He said he was planning something...I shouldn't worry about it now, or I won't get any sleep._

_Tomorrow I have to get the parcel to Barry. There's a lot of noise in the floor above me, so I know he's here. I can hear him saying something about going to the Trainer's School tomorrow to learn a few things...I'll give him the parcel there._

_ Here's to a good night's sleep, and an unforgettable journey._

* * *

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